Asda George Take on Homeware!

Hey!
This weekend I went back home to Devon to surprise my mum for Mothers Day, it was great a weekend is too short! We did a spot of shopping and some food shopping and whilst we were in Asda I got to have a look at all their new homeware ranges.

My mum treated me to a few bits and this is what I picked up:

These candles were only £1.50 each and fit in with my living room SO well.

Butterfly Cushion - £5. 

George now do their own full home range, you can look online or there is also a catalog in-tore. They've gone into selling sofas, furniture, curtains etc... and it looks really great!

Here are a couple other little home accessories from George that I love:

Rope Detail Hurricane Vase - £12
This would be perfect with a chunky candle in.

Lavender Planter - £6
This would make the prettiest room scent.

Yellow & Grey Throw - £15
This I can see on my sofa! 

What do you think about the new George home focus? I'm sold!
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Gingham Shift with Rare London - outfit post.

Howdy!

Today I'm showing off my new Rare London Dress. 

Gingham Collared Shift Dress* - Rare London.

I actually got the dress is a size up from what I normally get and I felt like you could see all my lumps and bumps :( I guess this is due to insecurity and also me needing to exercise more!

The dress is super cute I love the arm-banding and the collar contrast and it's also shaped well. It's actually made of a thick material so it is warm enough for Spring.

What do you think of Rare London?

Tonight I'm off to St.Davids Ladies Night for a bit then off to a tasting event at Wagamamas which I will most definitely be posting about very soon! The last one was so much fun.

Hope you are having a great week!

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Sparkly Clean House with Mopp!

I hate cleaning! So much, like I have to do it cus otherwise my house is gross but the motivation to do it is just not there - I'm far too busy for that! Once I get into the swing of it, it's not as bad as I built up, however I still detest it.

Mopp is an online cleaning service that allows you to book a cleaner in your area on a day and at a time that suits you. The cleaners are all pre-interviewed (via phone and face-to-face), my cleaner was Amanda - who was as Caaaiirdiff as they come and was lovely. I was offered a free 2-hour clean and as my flat is so small I didn't think it would take that long but it took up the whole 2-hours!

The detail was great, my oven was cleaned, floors all swept, tables polished and even my shower panel! To not clean myself was amazing and it is only £10 an hour for somebody else to do it for you. The only negative thing is the cleaners don't bring their own stuff so they use your products (I don't own many great ones) and cloths (Edit: I've been told for an extra £5 they do bring their own stuff which is great). Unfortunately for me my Liz Earle hot cloth was laying on the side by the sink and was used to clean my bathroom then thrown away - I know I can hear ladies gasping and weeping for me from here.
RIP Liz Earle hot cloth :(

Gleamin'!

If I ever have a spare £20 per week I'd probably get a fortnightly cleaner always.

Do you hate cleaning the house as much as me?
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Estee Lauder Double Wear, High Cover Concealer Review.

Hello!

Hope you had a great weekend, I didn't do alot but did go for a looong stroll around the Southerndown cliffs and beach again this Sunday with some pals, it was so nice to get some super fresh air in my lungs!

I'm terrible when it comes to concealer, I've used so many and they've never been the perfect one for me, which leaves me thinking, does such concealer even exist?! I usually use THIS L'oreal one but despite going back to it I think I just go back because I don't know where else to turn.

Recently I got to try the Estee Lauder Double Wear, Stay-in-Place High Cover Concealer which I was a little nervous about trying a 'flat-pack' concealer (if that makes sense) rather than a stick.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer*

I chose the shade 'Extra Light' as I always use pale foundation. The colour is probably still a tiny bit too dark for me still but if you bend it well into your foundation it is fine.
The consistency scared me at first as it is super high coverage so a little goes a long way! It does a really great job at covering scars and marks on the skin and totally covers them up however I feel its a little too thick for me to use for full on blemishes.

Do you use any Estee Lauder make-up? I've just noticed the advert on UK TV at the moment that says the Double Wear is the UK's best selling foundation - pretty cool!

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Mandala Print - outfit post.

The Past couple of weekends the weather has been so glorious here in Wales!

This outfit I wore out to Southern Down and Ogmore beaches during a little advenute in the sunshine. I wore a jacket but I had to take it off as it was super warm in the sun. We ended up in a beer garden and had a pub Sunday roast with a cider - it was lovely!

Dress - Motel.
Jacket - Topshop.
Sunglasses - Primark.
Boots - Clarks.

I got this dress as a birthday present from Ross, I love the print and the fit and want to get it in blue aswell.

Hope your week is going swell!
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Sugar & Vice Are Very Nice!

Sugar & Vice are an amazing brand from the UK specialising in their acrylic, lazer-cut designs that are detailed and intricate.  

They recently launched their 'Gemstone' collection (which you can see HERE) that is totally fabulous and I have one of my favorite pieces to show off to you: 

Heart Gemstone Necklace* - £11
This is a mirrored style necklace so it catches the light and makes for an amazing pieces. It sits perfectly on my chest and looks amazing with a simple outfit.

I've been a huge Sugar & Vice fan for so long now, if you check out their instagram they show off all their amazing pieces including their custom orders which is super inspiring. Here are a few more of my faves from the site:

Moggie Necklace - £16
Sugar & Vice do personalised necklaces so if I managed to get a Prince version of this it would be insaaane!

Solar System Necklace - £28
This would be the biggest statement of statement necklaces. Such a beautiful piece.

What do you think of this awesome brand?
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Le Bistrot Pierre Cardiff Review + GIVEAWAY!

This is a different kind review as I'm actually going to have half of it with a guest poster - my boyfriend Ross! He will be reviewing his dishes (I'll mark them with a 'Ross') and me - mine!

This past Friday evening we went to the Le Bistrot Pierre in Cardiff's Brewery Quarter to review our meal and experience there. We've been before when it first opened a few months back and loved it so were super excited to get back and try something else from the menu.

Before I forget I have to mention how amazing the service was, the first time we went I think we got forgotten about a bit but this time was a different story. I thought it was maybe because they knew I was reviewing but I watched two other servers dealing with other customers and they were very attentive and just lovely.

St. Jean House Red Wine (Ross):
As a long time fan and self proclaimed guzzler of red wine I was ecstatic with our choice of swill for the evening. The St Jean house wine was as full - bodied and moreish as you could hope.

Appetisers and Starters: 

Gousse d'ail rotti (Ross):
The appetizer I opted for was a whole roasted garlic bulb served with artisan bread and a shallow dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The garlic was tangy and decadent and was so soft that it could quite literally be spread.

Brioche et champignions:
For my starter I had creamy mushrooms with bacon bits on a squidgy Brioche slice. This was so good I could of had this twice! I love creamy sauces and this went so well with everything on the plate.

Parfait au foie de volaille (Ross):
The chicken liver parfait was light and rich in equal measure and went well with the brioche toast and plum chutney on offer. If I had any complaints here I would say the pate to toast ratio is off but being the gluttonous pig I am I soon polished the rest of the pate off with a fork. No regrets.

Mains:

Poulet aux truffes:
Like I said before I'm mad for mushrooms and this is a selection of wild mushrooms on pan-friend chicken breast with truffle oil. It was amazing, I wanted to lick the bowl the sauce was so good. Looking at it now my stomach is growling.

Saucisse de Toulouse (Ross):
My main was a hefty helping of Toulouse sausages accompanied with a beautiful tomato dressing enhanced with capers and all the natural bed fellows you would expect to find in a dish like this. Two soft poached eggs were served up with this french fare but they were extremely soft but the clue is in the title there. A tasty portion none the less.

Dessert:

Cafe Gourmand:
We were feeling pretty full however the desserts sounded SO good we decided to go for a mini platter of some of the best sellers that came with an Esspresso shot.
We had; caramelized lemon tart, raspberry sorbet, sticky honey pudding and a chocolate torte (which is already half eaten in this picture!). Incredible!

Now! For all my lucky readers in/around Cardiff I have a giveaway!

So if you want to win a lunch for two (including a glass of St.Jean wine) then all you need to do is:
Follow @LeBistrotPierre on Twitter.
Comment below saying you are local (if you visit often then obviously you can enter too but its strictly for the Cardiff branch!).
Leave a way for me to contact you if you win!

(Giveaway open until 27th March '14).

Good Luck!
X

Haagenbath - LUSH Ballistic Review.

Hello!

Today I thought I'd share with you my little bathtime routine and do a small review of an amazing LUSH Ballistic Bath Bomb!

I like to have at least one bath a week (usually on a Sunday) and I always take them in the evening so they settle me ready for bedtime. When I'm having a bath I love to either use lots of bubbles or treat myself to a LUSH Bathbomb, turn the lights off, light lots of candles and read a good book (currently reading Stiff by Mary Roach - its awesome!).

I take my phone with me just incase but I keep a hand towel on the floor next to the bath so if I do need to grab it I can dry my hands first.

During the LUSH sale on Boxing Day I decided to pick up some items I'd never tried before. One of the items on sale was the HaagenBath Ballistic which I've heard is often discontinued then bought back etc. so I really wanted to try it - I wish SO badly it was always available as It's definitely one of my most favourite LUSH Bathbombs I've tried!

The Ballistic has bits of chocolate in and smells like Spearmint so it actually ends up smelling like mint-chocolate ice cream which is my absolute fave smell! The chocolatey parts melt into the water and give you a lovely cocoa butter and almond oil coverage making your skin super soft and smooth. There is also Spearmint oil in it that helps sooth and calm skin. 

The water looked like a strawberry milkshake which was yet another reason why I've fallen in love with this Ballistic.

Like I said before I really hope they bring this back soon as I need to experience this again!

I'm going to go into my local LUSH this week to pick up some of the new Easter products which I'm super excited to try.

Hope you have a great weekend whatever you get upto.
X

Outfit Challenge: Making Money Go Further.

Hello!

Recently I took part in a challenge with the Debt Free Directs 'Making Money Go Further' blog to see if supermarket brand clothing can be better value for money and still be as on trend as high-street//more expensive brands. 

My supermarket of choice was Tesco's F&F and here is my outfit: 

Limited Edition Checkered Dress - £18
Bag - £12.50
Truffle Ankle Boots - £12.50

So that total for that outfit is: £43

I've made an alternative list for a similar outfit using different brands:

Rare London Dress - £32
Warehouse Handbag - £40
ASOS Lace-up Ankle Boots - £55

And that total is: £127!

I love the detail of the neckline and the small shoulder patches.

What do you think of my outfit against the other one?

I love this challenge I'm all about saving some money but still having good quality items so this was so much fun to take part in!

Hope you are having a great week
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Polka Dot Stomp.

Hello!

What a beautiful weekend it's been, I've had another quiet one, I worked on Saturday and just went walking on the beach on Sunday in the glorious sunshine. 

The recent heavy rain had left me wearing these babies that I want to share with you today and also are really good for walking on the beach with as you can get wet and not fall down rocks so easily: 

Evercreatures Short Polka Dot Wellies - Filthy Fox*

I've got pretty short legs and I never get on wearing wellie boots as they are always too high up to the knee, however these super pretty Evercreatures are a shorter version and go upto my shin so they are the perfect height.

The quality on these are amazing, they are made to be 100% waterproof, they come in gorgeous box decorated with the Hummingbird logo and also had a Hummingbird rubber keychain attached to them (which is now on my car keys) which you can check out on the Evercreatures website. The wellies also have a 4mm insole so they are incredibly comfy to have a trek about in.

I'm so happy to have the sun shining and I even had some Daffodils bloom in my garden!

What did you get upto this weekend?

X

Zara Homeware: Living Room.

I love my living room I've posted numerous photos of it online (you can see some here) and I kind of have a theme going on a you can see although I have no idea what to describe it as!

It's only about 70% how I totally want it to look so I'm constantly looking at dreamy things to go in there and make it complete. My favourite site, which is continuously updated and always unusual and just my style, is Zara Home. So here are a few of my current favourite pieces for my living room:

Embroidered Floral Cushion.
I love the colours on this cushion.

Insect Glass.
This would make a gorgeous candle holder, I have a small insect theme going on in my living room.

Insect Vase.
Keeping in theme I think this vase is just fabulous and I'd fill it with flowers every week.

Paisley Throw.
I have two throws in the living room and two sofas however I've put both of them on one sofa as I love snuggling up into them to keep warm and cozy.

Incense Holder.
I have 3 incense holders in my living room but I love this unusual round one.
It would be perfect in my fireplace.

Wood and Metal Lantern.
We already have the big wood style floorlight but this little lantern across the otherside of the room on the table would look so cute.

Does your living room have some kind of decorative theme? Or what is your dream theme?

Hope you're having a great week

X

Mothers Day Flowers + Debenhams Flowers Discount.

Another yearly event is upon us- Mothers Day! Those of us lucky enough to have our mums around us or close to us like to take this day to thank them for being so wonderful by offering a card or gift. 

I never know what to get my mum (one year I got a tattoo of a sacred heart with 'Mum' written in it) and this year I still won't know what to get but I have got a discount for anyone who wants to use it to buy their mum some beautiful flowers from Debenhams!

I was sent this gorgeous Vintage Rose bouquet which is two-toned peach and pink and smells amazing, everytime I walk into my house I can just smell these beautiful roses:

I recently got a new macro lens so this is an attempt at shooting some pictures with it.

To see the full range of Mothers Day flowers click HERE.

The discount code to use at checkout is: MDBLOG15
and that will get you 15% off :)

What do you think of these beauties?

Hope you had a great weekend!
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